Bittersweet Insanity
by Crystal Maygin
Summary: Make of the title what you will but this story will sure be one you wont forget. One part Bleach, one part Naruto; all parts insane. Enter at you own risk. SYOC. Co written with xBlue-Rosex.
1. Prologue

Prologue:

In a hidden location far from prying eyes, there lay a village shrouded in mist. Any who drew close would hear the screams of the deceased. But those who were lucky enough or with the ability to pierce the fog would find a unique village at the heart of the mist filled forest. The village itself was a rather simple one, the people who lived there would go about their daily routines just as any other village would. But a few things marked this town as different from any other. One being the fact that the fog itself did not encroach upon the town, the other being a strange tall wall that encircled a good portion of the middle of the town. The wall itself was rather normal looking, but two things made it quite the oddity. The first being the sheer height of the wall itself, simply staring up at the wall could make one dizzy due to how tall it was. The other unusual thing about this wall was the fact that there was no gate of which speak of. There was however, a guard stationed at the North, South, East and West sides of the wall.

These four guards all wore the same black robes and each one kept a sword at their side at all times. If one were to observe these guards they would see other warriors dressed in the same robes coming to and fro. Any who would leave the walled enclosure would seemingly walk through the wall itself. But if one were to look closely one would see a slight distortion where they pass through, almost like a ripple effect. Those that were coming to the structure would approach one of the four guards. And after a short conversation the guard would do some strange gestures with his hands near the wall itself, causing a small distortion in the air that the warrior could then use to pass through.

These black clad figure were nothing new to the villagers, to them these robed beings were the guardians, the protectors of their town. They were the Shinigami but their job was not solely to guard the town. They would also help the souls of the deceased pass on, as well as purifying corrupt souls, also known as hollows. But not just anyone could become a Shinigami, only those born with a demon inside them could join the ranks of these black clad warriors. For those who had these demons, they could tap into untold power when working with the being that dwelled within their soul.

Those who discover they had such beings within them would then have the opportunity to join the Shinigami Academy. Children between the ages of 7 to 9 were the ones that would normally be admitted into the school. But once they hit the age of 14 they would be placed within one of the five squads based on their abilities. Squad 1 was for tactic or intel, Squad 2 was the assassins or the Stealth Force, Squad 3 was for defense or protection, Squad 4 consisted of the healers and Squad 5 contained their brute strength. These five squads would conduct their work within the walled in structure at the heart of the village, this place was known as the Seireitei. From within the depths of the Seireitei the five captains would send out their orders to the members of their squads.

And of course, since each squad had something they specialized in each division had a insignia to symbolize this. The insignias themselves were rather simple, they were the Japanese characters for wisdom, silence, shield, health and strength. The village as a whole also had a symbol to represent it. The village symbol was two rounded out triangles that overlap to create a diamond effect with an open space at the center that resembled an eye. The triangular parts were made up of two crescent moons that face each other, with the left side being black and the other white, and the bottom triangle being reversed in color. The colors (yin and yan) symbolized balance, where the shape (the third eye) symbolized instinct and the window to the soul, and the center symbolized courage. This symbol was proudly placed on the only structure within the Seireitei to be seen outside its walls, a simple white tower.

But our story does not start within the Seireitei. It starts within the town known as Karakura that surrounds the Seireitei, with three teenage Shinigami. This is their tale of their grand adventures inside and outside of the village they call as home.

Welcome to Bittersweet Sanity...

* * *

Cast List:

Taichou of Squad 1(Shikage) : Toshiro Hitsugaya

Fukutaichou: Aoi Doragon, created by; san child of the wolves

Research and development (not part of a squad, they are completely seperate): Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihoin

Squad 2 (stealth squad):

Taichou: Hisagi Satoru, created by: DoTheBartMan

Fukutaichou: Mercury Grim, created by; RaeSoul

4th seat: Shirashi Akatsuki, created by; san child of the wolves

Squad 3 (protection):

Taichou: Ichigo Kurosaki

Fukutaichou: Renji Abarai

3rd seat: Hikari Nisshoku, created by; Crystal Maygin

5th seat: Akuma Kurosaki, created by; xBlue-Rosex (co writer)

20th seat: Kazuma Inuma, created by; Black Cat Angel

Squad 4 (healing):

Taichou: Isane Kotetsu

Fukutaichou: Hanataro Yamada

18th seat: Kazuki Emiko, created by; CelestialxXxAngel

Squad 5 (Brute force):

Taichou: Yachiru Kusajishi

Fukutaichou: Kumo Harikēn, created by; Xadamjackson13

2nd seat: Ryuzaki Takami created by; XxXshadowkitsuXxX

3rd seat: Katsumi Uzunami, created by; Xadamjackson13

* * *

There are no major spots left but we will still accept a few seated ranks if we keep gettin more characters. This is not the official cast list so there could be additions to it later on.

Shirashi Akatsuki, Hikari Nisshoku and Akuma Kurosaki are the three main characters so the story will revolve around them. The rest will come in and out of the story as we see fit, so don't expect a whole lot of screen time for your character or an immediate introduction. Some characters may not be introduced until later on in the story, so don't freak out if you haven't seen them for a while.

If you have any questions or are confused about the characters or how the two fandoms fit together let us know and we'll try our best to clear things up for ya. Do NOT ask about plot, we will NOT answer.

This story is being written by xBlue-Rosex and Crystal Maygin. Some parts may be written entirely by one or the other but it is mostly a joint effort and we both have a say in every scene, so it is equal effort on both parts.

**NOTE: **Due to complications Bittersweet Sanity will be posted in my account for now on. The story will still be co-written by myself and xBlue-Rosex.

Disclaimer: The only things we own in this story are our own ocs and most of the plot, the rest of the ocs belong to their respected creators and everything else belongs to the original creators of each fandom.


	2. The best part of waking up

BITTERSWEET INSANITY

Chapter One: The best part of waking up

xxXxx

Fingernails dug into the scalp of a messy red haired head which was buried into both hands of its owner. A deep throaty growl escaped the boy's lips as a fist slammed into the mirror before him, causing the glass to crack and a few pieces to fall away. The boy looked up at the mirror and stared helplessly into the eyes of his broken up mirror counterpart.

"Why does this keep happening?" The boy asked under his breath, knowing it was pointless.

It's happened for the past few days, only this time was different... this time he could see the boy, but who was he?

What is this boy trying to tell him? If he was even trying to tell him anything ... or was he just plain haunting him?

The boy squeezed his eyes shut and with one shaking hand pinched the bridge of his nose.

_Traitor!_

The red haired teen raised his head and looked into the face of his reflection. He leaned in closer to the reflection when he thought he saw something move. When he came closer to the mirror, the eyes before him slowly became a deep crimson red, and the lips curled into a wicked smile.

The boy flinched and took a step back from the sink. A low, slow taunting laughter ripped through the air. The boy's heart began to race and a wave of nausea washed over him as he recognized the voice as that continuous sound from his dream. He gripped his head as the dream came rushing back at him.

_It was the eerie wailing of the wind that startled him awake. His heartbeat pounded in his throat, the sound of it loud in his ears like the rush of blood pumping steadily through his veins. It was dark, so very dark. There was only weak candle light to cast aside the pitch of night and it just wasn't enough. Shadows as dark as coal moved just beyond the ring of safety that hesitant bit of light provided. There was something out there in the dark. He could feel it as tangible as a moist, warm breath on the back of his neck. Something was out there and it was waiting. Its presence was menacing in nature, dangerous and scary._

_He materialized out of nowhere, as if a part of the mist that had begun to invade the room he is in. A tiny waif of a boy, all long limbs and slenderness with features that are soft and gentle and just this side of sharp giving him a pixie like air. A child alone in this awful place? That can't be right. What on earth is going on? A few minutes ago he was in his own bed, curled up in a warm nest of blankets and now…_

_His blood red hair framed his face in a fine cut heap, haloed by the full moon casting its silver hue. Amazingly he giggled the innocent sound of childish joy and chases after what appears to be a butterfly with pure white wings. The sight was almost captivating and before he realized it there was a bright smile on his face despite the grimness of his surroundings. It didn't last long though._

_The candle went out and it seemed the moon did as well because suddenly there was only the smothering blanket of darkness. It was enough to make the bravest panic… and when he heard that scream; high pitched and terrified, it's all he could do not to give in to the fear himself. Even still, his racing heart had him glued to the spot where he stood. Immobile and impossible to move as if held there by some invisible force. Magic perhaps? In this odd place, who knows?_

_It took a moment before he could see the light, just a hint of color coming from far away. He heard sobbing as well and thought it might be that little boy. The light came closer, moving ever so slowly and casting aside the black abyss. There was a steady hum in the air, a low growl underlying it that never quite stopped. The stone walls illuminated just enough for him to tell that's what they were, look wet and cold. A house. Apparently this was a house… or maybe the ruins of one from the state of what he could see. In the middle of it all, the boy was moving, only he was not the tiny little thing from before._

_Was it only just a moment ago? Impossible!_

_He was still young, though closer to adolescence than childhood and the sight of him was shocking. The pale skin that practically glowed in the darkness was grimy. That red hair now disheveled and dirty. He was a mess. His feet were bare and his clothes, tattered. The smile that once graced his lips so easily was gone now. Those innocent silver eyes were filled with fear as he carefully took slow step after slow step. They darted from side to side as if he was scanning the dark around him for something just waiting to pounce._

_He reached out to him, ready to offer protection to the little boy but he couldn't get close. There was an invisible wall there that wouldn't let him near enough to offer the child comfort. He tried to speak, because maybe words can do the trick just as well as any touch could, but no words came. He was mute, unable to make a sound._

_The wind picked up again, its howling banshee-like and the boy shivered, though whether from the cold or the dread that sound evokes was impossible to tell._

_He was moving faster now, as if running from someone or something. The boy dropped the candle and started to run. He tried to follow. He was keeping a good pace, only a step or two behind until the boy turned a corner while casting a worried look over his shoulder. Still the child didn't see him. The boy looked right through him instead, eyes widening at what he saw, though what that was there was no way for him to know because there was nothing there. Only the darkness._

_When he turned back, the child was gone. Everything was gone. The house was quiet, the wind had died and the walls were lined with lit sconces, the fire burned brightly there chasing away the darkness that until now had threatened to overwhelm._

_Something still felt wrong. Desperately, impossibly wrong and that feeling was punctuated by a shriek coming from somewhere near. It had him running the halls, panting with the exertion and pushing his limbs to take him there faster. His legs burned and his chest felt tight as he followed the sound, it grew louder and louder until suddenly he was faced with a large wooden door. The only obstacle between him and whatever it was making that sound._

_He reached out, placing an amazingly steady hand on the door and pushed. It creaked and groaned like something out of a nightmare and finally, revealed to him the room behind it._

_It was the room. The one in which he woke not so long ago. It was still eerie even though this time because of the full moon, he could see. The silver moon was casting its silver hue on everything inside. He was standing there, the boy. Still tattered and dirty._

_The boy turned to look at him, a flash of recognition in his eyes. He thought this may be it, his moment to reach out. So he did. Only at that very moment there was a sound like thunder, a puff of smoke that enveloped the boy and another shriek. One he knows now came from the child. One that was echoing in him._

_He rushed to the spot where the boy stood as the smoke began to clear and he fell to his knees. He was gone. A tattered bit of white cloth the only thing left of him and it lay in the spot where he once stood._

_He's gone…and there's nothing he could have done to stop it, though he wishes he could have. Wished it with all that he is._

_An angst colored by desperation filled him as a single tear traced the contour of his cheek. He dropped to his knees, closing his eyes and let the darkness overcome him like the overwhelming emotion he could no longer hold at bay. One word was left echoing in his head because his voice still wouldn't work: Gone._

"Monster!" His reflection bellowed, smiling cruelly at the boy who had been forced out of his memory. The boy's new mirror counterpart continually repeated the word and each time it said it, it's voice grew stronger, and with each word the reflection grew in size until it was about to burst out of the glass.

"Enough!" The boy yelled, backing up into the wall behind him, but the taunting wouldn't stop. That same deep crimson red began to seep through the cracks in the mirror and spill onto the floor, then a sharp pain pierced the boy's head and he collapsed to the ground.

"Stop!" He shouted, gripping his head and shutting his eyes against the seemingly endless laughter. The image of that young child smiling playfully once again flooded his mind.

"Who...are you?" The boy whispered, his heart clenched and a deep gut feeling came over him. He opened his eyes and stared down at his hands, but something wasn't right... suddenly a pool of dark blood sat in his hands and slowly, the slippery substance seeped through his fingers.

"No. No, no no!" He said over and over as he frantically tried to wipe his hands clean of the blood, but nothing he did helped. He stood up in a panic, rushed to the sink and with shaking hands he turned on the faucet but what poured out wasn't water. He was soon surrounded by red and nothing but red.

"Why, why did you forget me?" A sad, soft childish voice asked. The boy looked back up at the mirror to find the small child from his dream. Tears streaked his bloody and dirt clotted face. Sadness, confusion and betrayal were all etched clearly onto his petite facial features.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" He protested.

"You killed me..." He said, choking on his words when a large red smile crept across his neck. That sickly red substance oozed from the wound and spilled in trickles down his neck, staining his pale skin.

"Who are you?"

"Who are you?" The child mocked, reaching out for the older boy, but when his hand made contact with the glass the child fell to pieces.

"Wait!" He cried, his voice resonating off the bathroom walls and leaving an echo ringing in his ears. When the boy next looked into the mirror he found that the boy had been replaced by an orange haired man who wore a large sadistic smile on his face.

"Dad?" He asked in a strained whisper, starring up at the laughing man.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked, taking a step back.

"He deserved it, they all did. They are all gone now..." The man said in a low taunting voice, his smile growing in size.

The boy found himself sitting on the floor, back to the wall and palms pressed against his eyes.

"It's not real…" He reassured himself, pulling his hands away from his face and surveying his surroundings to find that everything had gone back to normal. He stood up and cautiously made his way to the sink. He sighed heavily, running his fingers through his tangled hair, taking note of the large bags under his eyes.

"Pitiful... you're just a pathetic, worthless mess!" He yelled kicking at the wall in frustration, angry that he let himself become so weak.

A thick sheet of fog collecting at the edges of the mirror brought him out of his thoughts; he had forgotten he had left the water running. After peeling his clothes off, he stepped into the shower.

At first the water stung but soon it became a soothing waterfall. Closing his eyes and tilting his head back, he allowed the hot, steaming rush of water to wash his worries down the drain. Once he finished washing his hair and rinsing his body of suds he stepped out of the shower and patted himself dry, then towel dried his hair. With the towel now wrapped around his waist, he found himself in front of that dreadful and crack filled mirror once more.

For a moment he found himself absent mindedly tracing the jagged edges of the porcelain white mask that lay just above his right eye. Sighing heavily, he pulled away from the mask fragment but not before fixing his hair over it so none of it could be seen. Although reluctant, he dressed in the traditional black Shihakusho that all shinigami and shinigami in training wear.

'_Might as well put this on now, even though I feel ridiculous wearing it. According to dad there's a meeting this morning and I'm supposed to attend it'_

"Ichigo, Hikari, Kurai, Akuma! Breakfast!" The unmistakable voice of his mother called from the other room. He walked back into his room, pulled open a dresser draw and took from it; an old, charred locket attached to a rust covered gold chain. He dusted the locket off and slipped it into one of his pockets before putting a mask of indifference on and heading toward the kitchen.

"Good morning Akuma." Rukia greeted him with a warm smile and a large plate of every other breakfast item you could think of.

"Morning." He replied, taking his spot at the table.

"You really shouldn't eat with your uniform on." Rukia scolded, placing the over stacked plate in front of Akuma, who simply shrugged off her comment.

"Ichigo!" Rukia yelled, becoming frustrated with her husband who no later wobbled sleepily into the kitchen, brushed past Rukia and plopped into a seat without so much as saying a word.

"Good morning to you to." Rukia said, gaining Ichigo's attention.

"Hmm? Sorry, guess my lack of sleep is catching up to me." Ichigo yawned, lifting his head from the table.

"You and your hero complex." Rukia sighed out, placing an even bigger plate in front of Ichigo. "You need to take a break and stop worrying so much." She added.

"You know I can't do that!" Ichigo replied, offering her a tired smile and starting into his food.

"I know. I know. Here this will wake you up." Rukia said, offering Ichigo some coffee. Ichigo immediately refused.

"No thanks. You know what that stuff does to Shirosaki!" Ichigo exclaimed, shoving the cup as far away from him as he could, only to have Akuma walk by and snatch it up.

"I'm gonna head over to the Seireitei." He said walking out the door without glancing back.

"Wait! But you didn't even eat any of your breakfast!" Rukia yelled after him, but received no response.

"I'm starting to get worried about him Ichigo." Rukia said, looking over at her husband and taking a seat to his left.

"I worry about him every day of his life. But he's a teenager now; we can't keep shielding him from the world." He replied, placing a reassuring hand on Rukia's hand.

xxXxx

The sunlight shone into a somewhat messy room with a single bed. Upon the bed a sleeping figure could be seen, the only visible part was a head of messy black and purple hair. The sleeping individual shifted a bit restlessly in their sleep, the bright source of light bore into their closed eyes. They rolled over while pulling the blankets more over their head and muttered with a muffled voice. "Ten more minutes..." Several more moments of silence passed before the sound of shattering glass reached their ears. Almost instantly, the figure snapped up into a sitting position while saying out loud. "Burnt toast!" They blinked their eyes slowly while staring blankly at the wall ahead. Images and voices spun around in their mind as they tried to collect their thoughts.

"Enough!" A voice suddenly cut into the silence and the individual's whirling thoughts came to a sudden standstill. They listened intently for any other sounds and were quickly rewarded.

"Stop!"

The figure once again blinked slowly, their tired mind trying to determine if they were hearing things or not. But before they could come to a conclusion they began to hear low muttering. The voice started off in a whisper, but grew louder and more frantic as the moments passed.

"...o, no, no!" These words were accompanied by what sounded like running water but the individual was not entirely sure. More speech reached their tired mind but it was partially drowned out by the rushing water.

"... d...'t kno... ...hat yo... ta...ng abo..." There was another pause, then more low muttering, which was soon followed by a cry. "Wait!" More words were spoken, but they were once again drowned out by the sound of running water. Then there was a long moment of drawn-out silence until an angry voice called out.

"Pitiful... You're just a pathetic, worthless mess!" A sudden smashing sound quickly followed the shouted phrase. Once again the only sound that reached the figure's ears was the sound of running water. They finally came to the conclusion that the shower was running, or at least that seemed to be the case.

The figure finally let out a sigh and reached a hand up to scratch at their messy head of hair.

"Guess it's about time we got up..." The individual picked themselves up to reveal a finely toned male teenage body. The male wasn't too muscular but he weren't too lanky either, height wise he stood at 5'7". The teen moved over to a closet and opened the door; his deep ocean blue eyes scanned the clothing within, before spotting the set they needed. The teenager then withdrew a set of black robes, grabbing the pants; he threw the rest of the garments onto the bed.

The teenager paused, a frown spreading across his face as he stared at the pants, his blue eyes faded to a golden yellow.

**"Do we really need to wear these crappy robes?" **There was the slightest hint of an echo to the teen's voice that one would miss unless they really paid attention.

The boy closed his eyes while letting out a sigh, when he opened them again they were once again that same deep blue.

"We're going to an official meeting we have to wear them. You know that."

**"So?"**Came the slightly echo-y reply.

The teen shook his head and started to put on the clothing. "I'm not going to get in trouble again just because you're not in the mood wear them." The normal voice stated.

**"Aw... Come on! They didn't get THAT mad…"** The strange voice said in an attempt to reason with the other.

A slight twitch crossed his face as he moved to grab the top half of the robes. "They forbid us from going on any missions for a whole day." He reminded the other.

**"It wasn't that bad." **The odd sounding voice said dryly.

"If I remember correctly, you wouldn't stop complaining about how bored you were." The teenager said in argument to the strange voice.

**"Fine. Whatever. Have it your way Hikari."** The odd voice said in reply.

"I plan to." Hikari said in return, as he finished tying off the cloth that served as a belt.

"Ichigo, Hikari, Kurai, Akuma! Breakfast!" Hikari's head snapped up, upon hearing the voice of one of his two guardians calling them for breakfast.

**"You better hurry up Hikari! You know how Rukia is when it comes to being late for breakfast! Hehehe..."** The slightly echoing voice said in a teasing manner.

Hikari quickly headed out of the room and towards the bathroom. "I know. I know. You don't have to remind me Kurai." He reached the bathroom at that moment and grabbed the comb he usually leaves on the counter by the sink. But the moment he set eyes upon the mirror he dropped it. It had looked like something had collided with one corner of the glass. From that point, thin cracks climbed the majority of the rest of the mirror, giving it a spider web effect. Hikari finally allowed his eyes to wander around bathroom. The only other sign of damage was a hole in one of the walls, as well as some glass scattered around the floor and within the sink.

"Whoa... Are you seeing what I'm seeing Kurai?"

There was a moment of silence before the strange voice replied. **"Yeah... Someone had some crazy makeup sex..."**

There were another a few minutes of silence as those words sunk in. "Damn pervert..."

**"Heheh... You know it!"** Kurai replied happily.

Hikari let out a sigh while shaking his head, and then a serious expression crossed his face.

"You know what this means right?" He questioned the other with a no-nonsense tone.

There was only the slightest hint of a pause before the other replied. **"Yeah... Some things bothering..."**

"Ichigo!" Upon hearing Rukia's frustrated yell for her husband, Hikari knew it was only a matter of time before she called for him again. So for now, he dropped the topic and moved over to the sink to wash his face. He retrieved the discarded comb and started getting to work to get his disorderly hair under control, or at least as under control as he could. Soon enough Hikari finished and examined himself in the shattered mirror.

He always had unique hair; it was one of the many things that got him picked on a lot when he was younger. Hikari's hair was two-toned; the top part of his hair was black which faded down into purple at the tips and near the bottom of his hair. It was spiky at the top near the back of his head, which had five spikes that leaned towards the one side. The rest of his hair hung down in a style similar to upside down spikes. His bangs hung down and covered his forehead, but a large section of his them hung down and covered his left eye.

"Hikari! Get your ass out of bed! Right now mister!"

At those words, Hikari quickly bolted out of the bathroom while silently thinking about how glad he was that he took a shower last night. He skidded to a stop just inside the kitchen doorway.

"Morning!" He chimed quickly as he took a piece of toast off one of the plates on the table. Hikari went to take a bite but he paused to look at it. "I thought I smelled burnt toast." He didn't notice the twitch that crossed Rukia's face as his gaze wandered to the plate next to where she sat. "Akuma left already?"

Rukia sighed, letting the comment about the toast slide. "Yes, he just left a few moments ago." She replied allowing her gaze to fall upon the untouched plate as well.

Absentmindedly, he reached up and brushed the hair away from his left eye, only to have it fall back into place. "I see." Was all he said in response, Hikari could easily spot Rukia's concern in her words and actions. He reached over and grabbed the toast from Akuma's plate before turning to head out of the room. "I'm off! Later Rukia!"

He paused just inside the doorway and looked back over his right shoulder. Hikari's brilliant deep blue eyes once again shifted to shocking golden yellow. **"See you old man! Don't drown in your breakfast!"**

Ichigo picked his head up enough to send a stern look at the teenager. "Don't get into trouble, Kurai." He warned.

A big slightly crazy grin crossed the teen's face before he said. **"Me? Get into trouble? Never!" **After these words Kurai started laughing a bit, the echo becoming a bit more prominent. **"Later!"**The teenager stated before finally heading out.

Ichigo let out a sigh while reaching up a hand to rub at the bridge of his nose. "Kurai is going to get them both killed one of these days..."

Rukia couldn't help the smile that crossed her lips at those words. "Well, at least Hikari doesn't have the same trouble with Kurai that you used to have with Shirosaki." The only response she received was Ichigo dropping his head onto the table. She watched him quietly for a few moments before finally speaking again. "Don't YOU have a meeting this morning?"

Almost instantly Ichigo was on his feet and rushing off to get ready. "Oh crap!" Rukia just shook her head as she heard the sound of crashing and banging from somewhere deeper within the house. After a few moments he came running back into the room. "I'll see you later." He said as he planted a quick kiss on her lips before he grabbed a piece of toast and bolted out the door.

Outside the house and down the street a bit Hikari was moving at a brisk pace in an attempt to catch up to his best friend while wolfing down his toast. Very quickly he spotted the teenager standing down the road from him as if waiting for Hikari, the other boys back was to him. "Yo! Akuma!" He cried out in an attempt to catch the other's attention, but Akuma didn't respond. Hikari easily caught up to him since he was standing stationary. "Hey! Did you see the mirror this morning?"

**"I bet the old man broke it with his ugly mug!"** Kurai chimed in with a slight chuckle.

Hikari let out a soft sigh with a slight shake of his head. "Why do you like insulting Ichigo so much?" He couldn't help but ask his alter ego.

**"Because."**Was all the other replied with.

"Is that you're only reason? Because? That's a very stupid reason..." Hikari trailed off once he realized Akuma wasn't paying attention. In fact, the slightly shorter boy hadn't even registered his presence. From where Hikari was standing, he couldn't quite see Akuma's face clearly due to his slightly longer than shoulder length crimson red hair. So he moved around to stand more in front of the other teen and examined his face. His brilliant silver eyes were a bit wide as well as unfocused in fear and shock. Akuma's eyes darted around here and there as if he was watching something that only he could see. His mouth also hung open a little bit only slightly revealing canines that were a tad bit longer than average.

Hikari took another step closer but paused slightly when he heard the sound of something crunching underfoot. He glanced down to spot the shattered remains of a coffee cup. His eyes were quickly drawn to a few dots of crimson blood. As Hikari took in the sight, another droplet joined the rest. His gaze drifted up to Akuma's clenched and bloody fist. A sigh escaped the teenager's lips as he finally closed the distance, his left hand dug into his robes obviously searching for something. He lifted his right hand, which held the toast, and proceeded to shove the bread into Akuma's open mouth.

**"Have a piece of toast." **Kurai said in a slightly amused tone.

The other teen responded by quickly reaching up as if to grab him by the throat. Akuma's response would've shocked anyone else, but not this teenager. Hikari easily caught the wrist of the injured hand just as he pulled his left hand out of his robes. Within his grip was a roll of bandage wraps which he proceeded to use to bandage up the injured limb.

"You really need to take better care of yourself." Hikari stated as he worked, completely ignoring the stunned look on his friend's face.

"Hmm?" Was the only reply Akuma could muster in his slightly dazed state. Finally he lifted his left hand to remove the toast from his mouth and proceeded to stare quietly at it for a moment. Upon feeling a slight tug on his right hand Akuma finally turned his gaze to Hikari just in time to see the teenager finish wrapping it.

"There you go!" He said while giving Akuma a warm smile, even though the only response he got was a silent stare.

"Come on, let's get moving or we're going to be late." Hikari stated while nodding in the direction of the Seireitei. He took a couple steps before pausing slightly.

"You know, if something is bothering you, you can talk to us. We're always willing to listen." He said while glancing over his shoulder slightly, that warm reassuring smile still upon his face.

Akuma continued to stand there numbly for a moment. In response, the other teenager rolled his eyes; they once again shifted from blue to yellow. Kurai proceeded to walk over to him, then gently but firmly grabbed the upper part of his arm and started to pull him along.

**"Come on already! And eat your damn toast!"** Kurai snapped at the other teen.

"I'm not hungry." Akuma replied in a monotone voice, with the first real words that the other teenager had heard come out of his mouth that day.

Kurai couldn't help but frown at these words. **"Don't be like that. Hikari went out of his way to grab your toast for you."**

The teen's eyes change back to deep blue and his frown deepened. "You say that like it was a hassle..."

**"And who said it wasn't?" **Kurai answered back.

"It was just on the other side of the table! That's hardly going out of our way!" Hikari said in argument to his alter ego's words.

**"Yeah but we had to reach over the..." **Kurai's sentence was cut short due to the fact that Akuma shoved the toast into his mouth. Instantly in response the teen spit it out onto the ground.

**"Yuck! That was in your mouth!"** He snapped at the other boy only to find that Akuma had continued on without them.

**"Oi! I was talking here! Akuma! Hey! Wait up!"** Kurai called out after their friend as he quickly moved to catch up.

Soon enough they finally reached the hallway where the meeting rooms were located within the Seireitei. Every meeting was usually held in one of the many rooms in this hallway, whether it would be a simple task or a very important meeting with the captains. The room they were supposed to go to was towards the end of the hall. As they made their way down the hall, Kurai couldn't help but complain. **"They're probably going to give us another crappy mission, like last time."**

"Not all missions are big and important you know." Hikari stated with a slightly bored tone.

Their shared body gave an annoyed sigh. **"I know, but seriously! We're 3rd seat and Akuma's 5th! You'd think they'd give us much better missions then what they do!" **Kurai said in agitation.

"Yeah... I know you mean. But hey, someone has to do it." He said with a slight shrug of the shoulders while reaching up and brushing away the bangs that hung before his left eye in vain. They reached the door about then and paused just a moment. "Make sure to behave yourself Kurai."

**"Heh. No promises!"** He said with an amused tone then proceeded to open the door and step within. He took one look around the room and stopped dead in his tracks. Staring right at the pair of young Shinigami were the five captains of the Seireitei. Kurai couldn't help but give a slight nervous chuckle and then said in a low voice.

**"I don't think this is going to be a crappy mission..." **The sound of footsteps behind them caught his attention, he turned slightly to look. Kurai's golden yellow eyes reverted back to Hikari's deep ocean blue as he stared wide-eyed at the new figure that had just walked into the room...

xxXxx

The ear shattering sound of an explosion shook the house violently; following the loud noise was a cry of pain and clatter of noise. The sound of a door opening and shutting along with footsteps alerted the two people in the kitchen that someone was coming. A moment later and a man with blonde hair walked into the kitchen, hand placed firmly on the wall as he stumbled into the kitchen wearing a singed green outfit under a black coat and half of a burnt green and white hat on his head.

"I'm going to need a new hat." The man said as he walked into the kitchen.

"Do you want to talk about this before or after your meal?" A dark skinned woman with purple hair pulled into a ponytail asked in a smooth, teasing voice.

"….After….That way my ears have time to stop ringing." The man replied, taking a seat at the table alongside a teenage girl who appeared to be sixteen.

"Morning Shirashi!" The man greeted her with a bright smile.

"I don't even want to know." The raven haired girl said; glancing at the man whose clothes were still smoking, before returning to her food.

"So, did you have any plans for today?" The blonde haired man asked, starting a conversation while the purple haired woman simply sat and listened to their conversation.

"I've got a meeting this morning." Shirashi replied, popping another piece of egg into her mouth.

"A meeting? What about?" He asked.

"Dunno." was the only reply he got as the girl shoveled another fork full of food into her mouth. The blonde man shrugged in response before speaking again.

"Hmm, I've heard all the captains were called to a meeting this morning." He said but got nothing in response.

"Since all the captains are going; it's probably pretty important." He said with almost a sing-song voice.

"What are you getting at?" Shirashi asked, eyeing the man for a moment.

"Oh nothing! Have fun~" He replied with a sideways smile which was almost unnerving.

"….Okay…"'

_He knows something…'_

"So, does anyone want hear about my newest invention?" The man beamed but his smile quickly faltered.

"Not really/maybe later." Shirashi and Yoruichi replied at the same time.

"Why are you so mean to daddy?" The man wept comically, starring at Shirashi with large puppy dog eyes.

"You are not my 'daddy'!" Shirashi yelled, her fist making contact with the man's face, sending him out of his chair.

"I was only trying to have a friendly conversation!" The man protested, his voice muffled by the ground, his leg twitching.

"….But at least you're better than _him…_" She added softly, not meaning for Kisuke to hear her.

"You really mean that?" He popped up from his spot and seemed to just appear right in Shirashi's face, like some overexcited puppy.

"….I'm starting to reconsider." Shirashi said, placing her palm on the man's face and forcefully pushing him back.

"Kisuke!" The man's head snapped up when he heard the voice of his wife.

"Fire…"She said and with a slight pause she added "Lab." pointing to the room he originally came from. His eyes went wide and he stood up, rushing toward the room shouting for Ururu and Jinta to come help him before running back.

"You stay here. I only have half of you left and I don't wanna loose the other." He said, placing the remains of his hat on the table and patting it before taking off once again.

"You might want to take this chance to leave." Yoruichi spoke up after Kisuke left the room, her golden cat-like eyes gleaming with some emotion Shirashi couldn't put a finger on.

"Yeah, it's probably a good idea to leave before he comes back." Shirashi said, standing up and moving to take her plate to the sink when a large man stepped into view.

"Don't worry about it, I'll get it." He said with a curt smile, offering to take Shirashi's plate. The teen simply nodded in response and headed out the door.

"Don't let him burn the shop down, Tessai!" She yelled, after opening the door and peering outside. Yoruichi laughed under her breath before replying.

"Go, go! You don't want to be late!" She said, still laughing lightly.

"Bye Youroichi." The girl said with a warm smile before shutting the door.

A sense of foreboding washed over Shirashi as she walked through the town, and her stomach began to do flips. As she walked, her eyes continuously wondered over her surroundings as if in search for something.

"Why can't I have one daddy?" A young boy's voice caught Shirashi's attention and she turned to her left to find a small raven haired boy stomping his foot in protest.

"You've already had one! Now come on, let's go!" The man standing before the boy said reaching his hand out to the boy. Shirashi became stiff when in her vision the boy became a girl and the hand that reached out to grab the boy's hand moved to slap the girl across the face.

Shirashi turned her head to the right as if it had been her that had just gotten slapped. Closing her eyes for a moment, she shook the image away and looked back over at the two.

"We can come back tomorrow and you can get one then, okay?" The father reasoned and the boy stopped throwing a fit.

"We can?" The little boy asked, a smile beginning to light up on his face.

"Yeah, we can." The man replied a warm smile on his lips as he took his child's outstretched hand in his own and the two walked away from the bakery. Sighing heavily at the sight, she continued on her way.

"Morning Shirashi." A soft, almost sleepy voice called from her right. Looking about her, she found a figure laying on one of the surrounding roofs, his arms behind his head and body stretched out in a very relaxed position.

"Kazuma?" Shirashi asked, a little surprised to see the lazy shinigami.

"Yeah, who else?" He replied, his voice almost slurred with his words ran together in a continuous yawn. The black haired boy closed his eyes and let his head flop back onto his hands.

"What are you doing in Karakura?" Shirashi asked, although she wasn't particularly interested.

"Hmm?" He opened one eye and turned his head a little to the side so he could see the girl better. "Patrolling." He replied, a small sideways smile tugging as his lips and closing his eyes once again.

"Oh really? And what are you supposed to be patrolling?" Shirashi asked sarcasm clear in her voice.

"The world of dreams." He replied, tapping a finger on the side of his head for emphasis, before placing it behind his head once more.

"I don't have time for this! I've got to be at a meeting!" Shirashi said firmly continuing on her way.

"Have fun…"Kazuma said, the farewell sounding more like a whisper.

Shirashi could see the wall in the near distance now and the tightness in her chest began to loosen. She was just about to take a right turn into a short cut when something caught her eye. Turning her gaze to the right she happened upon the strange sight of two boys, but this wasn't the weird part. One of the boy's was talking to himself as he walked around the other who stood stalk still.

"...Okay…"She trailed off as she continued to watch the two.

"Have a piece of toast!" The taller of the two then proceeded to shove a piece of toast into the other's mouth.

"Somehow Kisuke doesn't seem as strange anymore." She said, turning her gaze away from the two, she had more important things to do then watch a couple of idiots all day.

What was supposed to be a short cut turned out to be more like a road block. Villagers crowded the dirt road. It looked like a festival was going on, with shop keepers running here and there trying to get the passersby to buy their merchandise. She was just about to turn and take the long way rather then get lost in this crowd when suddenly something grey and smelly was thrust into her face.

"Freshest fish in Tamashii!" A loud voice boomed, continuing to wag the fish in her face.

"Uh… no thanks." She said, backing away from the large woman who only advanced on her as she tried to retreat.

"Sakana's fish are the best in Tamashii!" The woman shrieked.

"Uh-huh. I'm sure they are lady, but I've really gotta go…" Shirashi said.

'_That woman's name means fish, who would name their child 'fish'?' _She thought, making for a mad get away from the fish lady, only to find herself in the middle of the crowd.

"You've got to be kidding me!" She snarled under her breath, frustrated. She tried making her way out of the crowd that was moving upstream and was soon dragged back by the many bodies. After being spit out in a new location, she found herself stumbling forward and landing in someone's arms.

"Well hello there." The white haired man said in a pleasant voice.

"Mister Ukitake?" She asked, immediately pushing away from the man.

"Good morning Shirashi!" The older man said with a warm smile.

"Morning." She replied still a bit dazed from what just happened.

"How are you?" He asked.

"Good." She replied quickly, eyes darting around.

"You seem to be in a hurry." Ukitake commented on how unusually anxious she seemed.

"Yeah. I've got a meeting to go to and it's supposed to be important." She replied, searching the crowd for an opening.

"I see y-"He began to say but was cut off by another voice.

"Drink! Waitress bring me another bring!" The dark haired man across the small table yelled before his head flopped back down to the table, immediately followed by soft snoring.

"He's drinking, already?" Shirashi asked, nodding toward the man wearing a large straw hat.

"I don't think he ever stopped." Ukitake replied with a light hearted laugh which Shirashi returned with one of her own.

"Well I better get going; don't wanna be late." Shirashi said.

"Alright. See you around Shirashi! It was nice talking to you." Ukitake said, watching as the girl nodded and took off.

Becoming frustrated with the crowd she climbed a roof and began to travel by rooftop, and in no time she found herself sprinting down the main hallway of the Seireitei. Heart racing and out of breath, she opened the door to the room where the meeting is supposed to take place.

* * *

A special thanks to San child of the wolves for all your help with the story so far and in the future.

Review please, and let us know how we're doing :)


	3. Memory Lane

Bittersweet Insanity

Chapter 2: Memory Lane

xxXxx

The door opened with a barely audible creak and a somewhat short, raven haired girl walked in. Her eyes went wide as she searched the room, taking in the sight of all five Taichous, until they landed on the forms of two boys where they narrowed into annoyed slits.

_'Not these idiots again...'_

She thought before turning her attention back on the Taichous, more specifically the Shikage, and bowed politely.

"Shirashi Akatsuki, 4th seat of Squad Two reporting for duty." Once she received a nod of recognition she took her spot next to the two boys, albeit unwillingly.

_'Damn that Kisuke, I should have figured…'_

Standing at the head of the room was the Head-Taichou, or as his was more commonly known as, Shikage; Toshiro Hitsugaya. The Shikage looked be in his mid to late teens at best. He had short spiky white hair with brilliant turquoise eyes that seemed to shine with great intelligence. He stood tall in his shihakusho and Taichou's haori, although he certainly wasn't the tallest in the room.

On the left side of the room, which happened to be on Hitsugaya's right, was the Taichou of Squad Two, Hisagi Satoru. He was certainly much taller than the Shikage, with medium length spiky light blond hair. Out of those gathered he had the most unique eyes, one being blue while the other was green. He also sported a Y shaped scar on his left eyebrow.

Next to him stood the slightly taller Taichou of Squad Four, Isane Kotetsu. She had short messy silver hair with a few strands hanging down the right side of her face. Her gray eyes like most of the others in the room were on the three young Shinigami.

On the right side of the room closest to Hitsugaya stood the Taichou of Squad Three, Ichigo Kurosaki. Age wise he appeared to be late 20s. He had long since grown out his short spiky hair, and now sports long orange hair that is pulled back in a low ponytail which didn't quite reach the mid of his back. Ichigo's brown eyes were squarely focused on Hikari, or more specifically, Kurai. The look he was giving the inner hollow clearly stated 'Don't try anything.' But whether or not the young hollow would listen was another matter entirely.

Standing beside Ichigo with her hands behind her short pink haired head was the shortest of the five Taichous; Taichou of Squad Five, Yachiru Kusajishi. A bored expression was plastered on her face. Her dark pink eyes not really focused on anything in particular.

Now that everyone was gathered, the Shikage cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. Once he was sure he had it, he began to speak with a commanding voice.

"Shirashi Akatsuki, 4th seat of Squad Two. Hikari Nisshoku, 3rd seat of Squad Three. And Akuma Kurosaki, 5th seat of Squad Three. You three have been unanimously chosen to go on a special mission..."

Two out of the three young Shinigami got slightly surprised looks upon their faces. Hikari's blue eyes shifted to yellow as he opened his mouth to speak, but they quickly shifted back to blue as he shut it. For a brief moment his gaze drifted to his Guardian and Taichou, who was still looking at him with a deadly serious look. Quickly, Hikari returned his gaze to the Shikage as he began to speak again.

"Your main task is to gather information on the neighboring villages. You are to collect as much Intel as possible by participating in the Chunin exams, while disguised as Genin ninja. Also, you are to interact with other participants in the exams to gather further information." Hitsugaya continued to explain, either not seeing their reactions or ignoring them entirely.

Hikari couldn't help but give a sideways glance to the Shinigami girl standing to his left._ 'I can't believe Shirashi is here... Oh no... I'm going on a mission... With the girl I like... Oh no... Oh man... Oh n... Kurai! Stop trying to say something! You're going to get us in trouble!' _He snapped inwardly at his counterpart as he mentally pushed the other back again.

"Furthermore, you are restricted from using any Kido, performing Konsos, drawing upon the energy of the deceased, and releasing your zanpakutous, unless absolutely necessary." The Shikage was saying, completely unaware of the conflict going on before him.

Kurai noticed Akuma tense up slightly, the only outward sign of his acknowledgment was his eyes changing to yellow and a small frown that pulled at his lips.

_**'Hey Hikari, I think Akuma's having another one of his moments... We might want to do something.'**_

"You will be provided with uniforms necessary to blend in with the populous; they have been made specifically for each of you to fit your own unique abilities." Hitsugaya was in the process of saying.

Hikari carefully directed his gaze towards his friend who was standing just to his right, Kurai was correct. He appeared to be trapped within one of his visions. The small frown upon his face deepened a bit more; he nudged Akuma with his elbow slightly. Hopefully that would be enough to snap him out of it. It seemed to work for the most part, but Hikari couldn't be 100% sure.

"Also, Hikari Nisshoku has been unanimously chosen as your team leader." Upon hearing these words, Shirashi couldn't help but tense up. As much as she hated the thought of following orders from the older boy, she wasn't about to question the Shikage. So instead she clenched her hands into fists so tightly that her knuckles began to turn white, all the while biting her lip hard enough to draw a bit of blood.

"You will leave for a week long walk tomorrow morning to Konoha and will be provided with the necessary supplies to get you there and back prior to your leave. The uniforms and supplies shall be provided by Urahara's Workshop, be sure to stop by and retrieved them." His gaze wandered over the three Shinigami standing before him.

"Any questions?" Upon receiving nothing but silent stares, he gave a short nod. "Good, dismissed."

Two out of three began to head out, but Akuma just stood there staring blankly. Hikari quickly noticed the absence of his friend and glance back over his shoulder. Calmly but quickly, he moved back over to the dazed boy. For a brief moment his eyes wandered to the five Taichous and he found all eyes were on them. He gave a slight nervous laugh with an equally nervous smile.

"Come on Akuma." He said in a low tone, as he gently but firmly took hold of his friends arm and started to drag him out.

Shirashi had paused to watch the exchange with a raised eyebrow by the door. All three of them left the room as a group. Out in the hallway, once the door was closed tightly behind them, Hikari let out a relieved sigh.

"What was the meeting about?" Both Hikari and Shirashi looked to the slightly confused redhead.

"Uhhh..." Clearly that small nudge wasn't enough to pull Akuma out of his trance-like state. Hikari glanced at his crush momentarily, upon seeing the growing agitation on her face, he spoke quickly.

"I'll tell you later..." And with that he quickly started heading out of the building.

Back within the meeting room, the Shikage let out a light sigh after the three young Shinigami had departed.

"I'm beginning to wonder if those children are really the best choice for this mission." Hisagi Satoru said with a dead serious tone.

Hitsugaya's gaze turned towards the Taichou of Squad Two.

"You know exactly why they were picked this mission. This task will prove once and for all where they stand within the Seireitei. It is a necessary test of their loyalty." Hisagi cross his arms, but said no more.

"I'm sure it will be fine." Isane Kotetsu spoke up with a slightly hesitant smile. She didn't look as sure as she sounded.

"They're well trained, they'll be just fine." Ichigo was saying it more to ease his mind than anything else. But it was spoken with such confidence that none of the other Taichous were aware of the small doubt within the great heroes' heart. A small giggle drew all eyes to the small Taichou of Squad Five.

"You're all so silly for worrying so much!" Yachiru said with a big smile upon her face. "They're going to do great! You'll see! They're going to have a lot of fun too! Think of all the new strong opponents they get to fight!" Her big smile gave way to a small frown with a bit of a pout. "I'm kinda jealous..."

Hitsugaya once again cleared his throat. "Whatever the case, as I've already stated this is a necessity." He allowed his gaze to wander upon the strongest of the Seireitei.

"Now that all of the Taichous have bared witness to the acknowledgment of the assignment by the chosen participants, this meeting is hereby concluded. You are all dismissed."

Now that the meeting had come to a close and they were outside the building, Shirashi quickly walked past the two boys while speaking through clenched teeth.

"Don't expect me to follow your orders just because you've been made leader."

Hikari blinked in surprise at those harsh words. "Umm... Do... You want to lead?" He couldn't help but ask, although slightly hesitant.

Shirashi was shocked and thrown off by his sudden question, and without thinking she snapped back with a "Yes!" before she was able to catch herself and then she looked away, slightly embarrassed.

"W-why are you asking?"

"Well... Taking the lead really isn't my thing... So if... you want be the leader, then go for it. I don't care... And I'm sure Akuma won't really mind either." As if to make sure, Hikari glanced over to his friend.

Akuma simply shrugged his shoulders before speak up. "It really doesn't matter. We're a group and everyone here is an equal."

Shirashi just rolled her eyes while thinking. _'Riiight... All equal my ass.' _

Hikari's voice cut into her train of thought. "So yeah... Umm... As leader of this group I officially make you the new leader. Congrats! And... Stuff..." Despite his best efforts, the nervousness that he was feeling leaked into his voice as he spoke. It was clear he wasn't leadership material.

Shirashi just eyed him suspiciously for a moment and then slowly nodded her head while thinking.

_'This guy is more confusing than Kisuke!' _

Finally she responded with a suspicious but simple. "Okay."

She was definitely caught off guard with how scarily easy that was. This Hikari guy seemed like a push over, she couldn't help but wonder why they would send someone like him on such an important mission.

"Anyway..." The older Shinigami's voice once again cut into her thoughts.

"You now fall under the need to know category since we'll be working together." He said in a stronger and more serious voice than before. She raised an eyebrow at him, but before she could question, Hikari continued.

"There is something about me that only those who need to know are allowed to know." He glanced around quickly to make sure no one was in hearing range before looking back to Shirashi.

"I'm a Visored." He said bluntly and without hesitation.

"Prove it." She replied after a moment of silence.

Hikari's deep blue eyes shifted to shocking yellow as Kurai picked that moment to speak up.

**"How are we going to do that? I guess I could fire a cero for you... Kinda still suck at it though... I can punch with a pretty mean bala!"**

She raised an eyebrow at him but she quickly spotted the change in his eyes. "Okay, point proven."

Kurai gave her a slightly confused look before stating **"But I didn't do anything yet."**

Shirashi just shrugged her shoulders in response to his words. "You're eyes are all the proof I need."

**"Really now?"** He couldn't help but ask her, upon receiving a nod, he took a moment to stare at her quietly. She seemed completely unfazed by his presence.

**"You don't seem to be afraid of me, why is that?"** Hikari's alternate ego couldn't help but question.

"Should I be afraid of you?" She answered his question with a question. "You haven't given me a reason to be afraid of you. So I see no reason to fear you."

Kurai could only blink at these words, unsure of what to say at first. **"But... I'm a hollow!"**

"So?" Shirashi returned as a reply causing Kurai to go silent. "It's obvious you're a not very well contained hollow, but that your host's problem not mine."

The inner hollow didn't know how to respond to that, nor did he have time to. "Well, well if it isn't the little Princess. And she's in the company of the pampered brats no less." Spoke a very sarcastic voice.

Almost instantly, all three of the young Shinigami's eyes were on the speaker. But only two of them gave a response.

"Shut the hell up you bastard!" Both Shirashi and Kurai said at the exact same time causing both of them to look at one another in slight surprise.

The sound of laughter drew their eyes back to the person before them. "What the hell do you want Mercury?" Shirashi finally snapped at the guy.

Mercury Grim finally straightened up, he was only slightly shorter then Hikari, then he collected himself enough to stop his small fit of laughter. He lifted a hand to wipe away a few tears that had started to gather in the corner of his left eye. He fixed his left red eye upon the three teens. His right eye was hidden behind his long bangs but there was a hint of a scar on his cheek underneath the hair. He had long silver gray hair that went down to about his waist that was kept up in a ponytail. When he opened his mouth to speak, fang like teeth could clearly be seen.

"Now THAT was amusing... Heh... Anyway, can't a Fukutaichou check in on his subordinates every now and again?" His voice still held that sarcastic tone.

Shirashi raised an eyebrow at him. "If the Fukutaichou is checking in on them it's fine. But you're being an asshole, so no you can't!"

Mercury placed his hand over his heart and pretended like he was hurt. "You wound me with your words!" He snickered slightly before continuing. "Anyway, I heard you're going on a long mission... Don't tell me you're stuck with the pampered brats!" He couldn't help but laugh once again.

Shirashi rolled her eyes at his pathetic act. "Uh-huh suuure I do." She said shaking her head. _'Will he ever grow up?' _She wondered silently to herself before shaking her head. "Yeah I am." She said slowly. "Oh yes that's such a crying shame, really." She said in sarcasm.

He chuckle slightly at her words, while taking a few steps forward his gaze upon Kurai and Akuma. "You brats better take care of Squad 2's overdramatic little Princess, you hear me?"

Shirashi opened her mouth to retort to his words, but Kurai beat her to the punch. **"I don't think she needs protecting, I bet she can take care of herself just fine... Fuck you Taisho."**

_'Oh man... Kurai you're going to get us in big trouble at this rate!'_ Hikari warned his hollow half while he tried to resume control unsuccessfully.

"I DON'T NEED PROTECTION!" Shirashi snapped defensively before adding. "Who are you calling overdramatic? And I am not a fucking princess!"

Instantly Mercury set his gaze upon Kurai a slightly angered look upon his face, while completely ignoring Shirashi's outburst. "What was that?" He questioned with a dangerous tone.

_**'Don't worry so much! I got this!'**_Kurai returned while mentally pushed Hikari back. **"Oh! Excuse me! Fukutaichou..."** Kurai said with a big smirk upon his face. **"They sound pretty damn close, you have to admit that. Maybe they should think about changing it..."**

_'Seriously Kurai! This is the last thing we need right before a mission! And a damn important one at that!'_ Hikari continued to try to reason his other half.

"Why you little..." His sentence was cut off with a slight cry of pain as he was suddenly punched in the face. "Ow! What the hell was that for Shirashi?!" He snapped while glaring at the female Shinigami.

Shirashi glared at him. "I am not overdramatic! Nor am I a princess! And finally, I don't need protection, Fuu-kuu-tai-chou!" She hissed at him, sounding out his title on purpose.

He lifted a hand to snap his broken nose back into place. "Yeah... Sure you're not Princ... WILL YOU STOP LAUGHING!" Mercury snapped at the possessed young Visored while sending a vicious glare his way.

Kurai was almost doubled over with laughter about the whole thing.** "Oh man! Nice shot! That was great!"** Was just a few of the things he got out between laughs.

_'Come on Kurai... That's enough... Seriously...' _No matter what he said Hikari couldn't get through to his alter ego.

"Okay that's it, you little punk!" The Fukutaichou snapped while coming at Kurai with an upper cut.

Instantly Kurai's laughter stopped as he easily dodged the punch. **"Tck! You have to be faster than that!"** The young hollow practically sung as he easily dodged a few more punches from the enraged Fukutaichou.

"Stop calling me princess!" Shirashi yelled getting ready to join the fray but another took action long before her.

Akuma was standing between the two before they even realized he was there, the palms of his hands held not even an inch from their faces. "That's enough." He said simply in a monotone voice.

"Get the hell out of my..." Before Mercury could even finish his words, Akuma shot a glare his way. They stared at one another quietly for a few moments, until finally the Fukutaichou spoke up. "Wha... Whatever! I better places to be anyway..." He said as he pulled away from the hand. Then Mercury turned on his heels and proceeded to walk away at a brisk pace.

**"Oi! Where you think you're going you..."** But Kurai was cut off as Akuma took the hand that was before his face and clamped it firmly on his mouth, effectively silencing him. Then proceeded to drag him away and in the opposite direction without a word. All the while, Kurai was struggling to get the hand off his mouth.

Shirashi couldn't help but twitch at their abrupt departure. With an annoyed huff, she turned and stormed off into the direction of Urahara's Workshop.

Once they were a ways away Akuma finally released his Visored friend. Hikari let out a small sigh while glancing to the redhead. "Thanks Akuma. Sometimes it can be a real hassle to keep Kurai out of trouble..."

**"Oi! That jerk was asking to have his ass handed to him!"** The hollow snapped in response. **"Besides I can take care of myself!"**

"Right..." Came Hikari's sarcastic reply. "Do I need to remind you about the Ryuzaki Takami incidence?"

**"Hey! That guy wanted a fight! And I gave it to him!**"

"Anyway..." Hikari returned his gaze to Akuma. "We need to head over to Urahara's place for our usual check up..." He started trying to say.

**"You know, the one where they make sure that we still have some level of sanity. As well as to double check that I'm not trying to consume Hikari's soul... Or whatever the hell they think I'm going to do."** But was cut off by his alter ego.

"Yeah that one..." Hikari said dryly with a shake of his head. "You want to come with us?"

xxXxx

"I..." Akuma faltered, eyes darting around.

"You ok?" Hikari asked.

"I'm fine, you go ahead without me." He replied, taking off in the other direction. A few minutes later Akuma found himself back at the house in Karakura, and more specifically in his room. He shut the door behind him and made sure to lock it before heading to a bed side table. Quickly, he opened the drawer and rummaged through it until he saw what he was looking for. He eyed the orange bottle in his hand a moment.

"I thought I had control of this, it's been so long since it's gotten this bad. I couldn't even pay attention during the meeting…" He said under his breath, rubbing his thumb against the bottle and thinking about what happened during the meeting.

_Why did you forget me? _

_A flash of red followed shortly behind the voice._

_How could you forget me!_

_The image of the young boy with tangled hair and a dirt clotted face danced in his vision. _

_You killed me! _

_The hallucination pointed at him with an accusing finger._

_You're a monster! _

_The boy said, a sardonic smile creeping onto his face and walked around Akuma, which caused him to stiffen. Suddenly the boy appeared in front of Akuma, now on the ground with his knees tucked up to his chest._

_Mommy!_

_The boy shouted, tears streaming down his face. _

_They're all gone… they're all dead! And it's all your fault!_

_The boy yelled, standing up abruptly and lunging at Akuma, hands outstretched. Akuma flinched and took a small step back, only to have the hallucination pass right through his torso like a ghost. _

_The light jab of an elbow in his side barely registered as he found himself in a meeting room. He tried to focus on the Taichous before him, but their voices were easily over ridded by those in his head. They were screaming at him, asking why and how he could have forgotten…calling him a traitor, a monster. _

_The Shikage stepped forward and began to speak to the three, and then he turned his accusing glare on Akuma, pointing his finger at him. _

_"You!" He yelled, his eyes slowly turning red. _

_"It's all your fault!" The Shikage shouted, stepping toward Akuma. _

_It's not real!_

_Akuma squeezed his eyes shut for a brief moment, pinching the bridge of his nose and willing the hallucinations away. _

_…on Akuma." A familiar voice called his name, and a familiar warmth wrapped around his arm. When he opened his eyes he found himself being dragged out of the room by Hikari. _

Akuma sighed before popping off the lid and shaking its contents into his hand. With two of the white and red capsules in his hand he capped the bottle, slipped it into his pocket and headed into the bathroom. Once in the bathroom he turned on the sink, placed the pills in his mouth then cupped his hands under the sink to catch the water. Bringing the water to his lips, he quickly chased the pills down with it, tilting his head back and letting out a long sigh after.

When he moved to turn the water off, his eyes landed on the corner of the mirror and followed the small cracks that branched away, covering about half the mirror. Absent mindedly, he raised a hand to the mirror and followed the cracks.

"What's with that little boy? He looks so much like me…in fact he looks exactly like me when I was younger…" He mused under his breath, pulling away from the mirror only to notice he had cut his finger on the glass and only then did he register the dull pain.

_'You should take better care of yourself.'_

Those words came rushing back to him as he rinsed the blood off in the sink.

_'Why is it that I'm always the one needing help? When did I become so helpless?'_

Akuma headed back to his room, taking a seat on the red sheets of his bed, these thoughts plaguing his mind.

_Suddenly Akuma was a child again, sitting sprawled out on the ground and wearing multiple bruises. Laughter echoed in his ears and he was surrounded by a group of boys who looked to be at least a few years older than himself. He grunted in pain as he was kicked in the side, a chorus of laughter following suit. _

_**"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"** An angry voice yelled and the boy's surrounding Akuma turned his head to find a boy with choppy purple and black hair and golden-yellow eyes._

_**"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"** The boy asked, advancing on the group. _

_"You wanna fight?" One of the other boys yelled, stepping up to the purple haired boy. The boy raised his fist and swung it at the other, but he was clocked in the face before it made contact. _

_**"Now get out of here before I really get angry!"** The yellow eyed boy shouted and the rest of the boys ran off, leaving a scrawny boy with shaggy red hair sitting on the ground._

_"You ok?" The older boy asked, his eyes shifting from yellow to blue. The younger boy on the ground lifted his head up and nodded slowly. _

_"I'm Hikari, who are you?" The boy asked with a smile, but instead of answering, the other boy returned his gaze to the ground._

_"Hey, it's ok. The bullies are gone, you don't have to be afraid anymore." Hikari said, and the other boy lifted his head once more._

_"Do you… wanna play with me?" The seven year old asked, Akuma simply nodded in reply._

_"Here, let me help you." The blue eyed boy said, offering his hand to Akuma, who took it hesitantly._

_"So, what's your name?" He asked once again as he pulled the other boy to his feet._

_"Akuma!" A deep voice yelled and a tall orange haired man rounded the corner._

_"Is your name, Akuma?" Hikari asked the five year old boy, not noticing how his eyes widened in fear and he became stiff as the man in the distance got closer. _

_"Akuma! There you are. Why'd you go and run off like that?" The orange haired man asked as he neared the boys._

_"Well, see you around Akuma." Hikari said, running off in the other direction before the orange haired man got there._

Akuma sighed at the memory and decided it might do him some good to take a walk and get his mind off of things, after all, he can't have his mind clouded like this when they're about to go on a mission. He slowly stood up from the bed, thankful that the voices had finally stopped, at least for the most part.

Once out of the house, Akuma headed to the one place he always went when he needed some time alone.

It was an old and over grown garden that Akuma found himself in front of, but you couldn't tell this just by looking it. He pulled away some of the vines that had completely over taken the gate before opening it. The grass and other plants had grown a lot since the last time he was here, so much so that it was hard to tell where one plant started and another ended.

Slowly, he walked through the garden until he came upon a large willow tree that was so over grown; it appeared to be a mass of leaves with no trunk. Parting the leaves, he walked under the tree and took a seat with his back against the trunk. Absent mindedly, he traced the jagged edges of the mask that lay just above his right eye, as he did so often; it was a reminder of sorts.

_'Hikari has been such a good friend to me; he's always been honest and all I've ever done is lie to him…'_

Akuma sighed, letting his head flop back to the trunk. It was in this very place that he found out about Hikari's inner hollow; Kurai.

_'Will I ever gain the courage to confide in Hikari? What is it that's holding me back? Haven't we been friends long enough? I know he'll understand. I know he'll accept me, so then, why do I hesitate? Where is this underlying fear of abandonment coming from?'_

Akuma shut his eyes for a moment and was once again thrust into the past.

_A young red haired boy about the age of six walked the city alone in search for his one and only friend. Usually it was Hikari that would find him and suggest that they go on some crazy adventure and Akuma would simply follow along, no questions asked. Akuma had come to trust Hikari in the short time they had known each other; it has been what, a year now? Maybe even less, but even so, the young boy with fiery red hair completely trusted the other boy. _

_Akuma rounded a corner, eyes darting here and there in search of the boy with purple and black hair. Something was telling him to turn left, and so he acted on instincts, following what he thought was right. At the time though, Akuma didn't realize he was actually following Hikari's scent. Akuma's keen senses could easily pick up on the difference in smell of the other boy then normal people; he could compare it to his father's scent, only on a much different level. _

_In a matter of minutes Akuma found himself nearing the border of the village, where the fog could just barely be seen. Following his nose, he walked deeper into the thin fog until he came upon what someone could assume was an abandoned part of the village. Everywhere around Akuma were large old houses that looked on the verge of collapsing, all submerged in a thin fog. _

_Akuma continued walking until the scent became stronger and he came across a large iron gate that was opened just enough to where a small child could slip in. Akuma placed a hand on the gate and peered inside. There standing in the middle of the garden was Hikari, only something was off about him. _

_**"I didn't think it would make her that angry****!"** The purple and black haired boy yelled, his voice sounding slightly distorted._

_"You never think before you act! How could you think that shaving the neighbor's cat wouldn't make her mad? You're always getting me into trouble!" Hikari shouted, his voice returning to normal. _

_**"You thought it was funny too! And I...****"** The boy said, but stopped abruptly when he turned around and faced the red haired boy. His yellow eyes grew wide and immediately reverted back to their usual deep blue._

_"Akuma?" Hikari asked as the boy walked into the private garden, eyes darting here and there, taking in all of the colorful plants and flowers. _

_"H-how long were you standing there?" Hikari asked, afraid that Akuma had heard him arguing with himself. The younger boy shrugged his shoulders in response, still gazing at the new environment, bewildered._

_"Hikari?" Akuma spoke up, turning toward Hikari._

_"Yeah?" Hikari replied._

_"How come you were talking to yourself?" The younger boy asked. A look of fear crossed Hikari's face. Hikari turned away from Akuma and began to mumble to himself, not realizing Akuma could hear him clearly regardless. _

_**"Don't tell him!"**_

_"I have to tell him something!"_

_**"Tell him…tell him…"**_

_"I can't lie to him! It's not right!"_

_**"He's gonna think we're crazy, he'll hate us!"**_

_"I have to tell him."_

_**"He's just gonna turn out like everyone else, do you really wanna loose our only friend?"**_

_"Maybe he'll be different!" _

_**"No he won't! It happens every time!"**_

_"We have to give him a chance!" And with that Hikari turned around to face Akuma who was waiting patiently. _

_"There's …another me in here." Hikari started, pressing a finger to the side of his head for emphasis. "But he's not me at the same time. His name is Kurai, you've met him before, he's the one that saved you from those bullies." Hikari finished, expecting Akuma to run off, calling him crazy._

_"Oh, ok." Akuma replied, surprising the eight year old._

_**"You're ok with this? "**__ He asked, his deep blue eyes shifting to golden-yellow. _

_Akuma shrugged before speaking "So, what do you wanna do?" He asked. Kurai starred at the younger boy in shock for a moment before speaking._

_**"Wanna go shave the neighbors other cat?" **__Kurai suggested, a large grin playing at his lips which was soon wiped away._

_"No!" Hikari yelled at his other half, before turning to Akuma._

_"So, you're really ok with this? You don't think I'm crazy?" He asked._

_"No." Akuma replied, not sure why his friend was so worried about this. _

_"Where are we, Hikari?" Akuma asked, unfazed by the new information about his friend, which turned out to really actually be plural._

_"Why aren't you freaking out?" Hikari asked, still confused by the younger boy. No one has reacted this way once learning about Kurai, they all called him crazy and picked on him, but Akuma, Akuma was different._

_"You're my friends, both of you are." Akuma replied with a smile, which Hikari returned, now convinced that Akuma really was different and wasn't going to leave him. _

_"What is this place?" Akuma repeated his earlier question._

_"This is my secret place that I go to when I want to be alone." Hikari replied, then added quickly "It can your secret place too if you want." He paused "It can be our secret place." He said with a smile. Akuma nodded in reply._

_"Here, I'll show you around." Hikari said, taking hold of the younger boy's hand, who followed along silently._

The sound of a bird in the distance drew Akuma out of his thoughts, and he opened his eyes.

"I should probably head back, knowing mom, she'll start to worry." Akuma said, picking himself up off the ground and leaving the garden. He walked through the town silently, until a familiar sight made him stop. He took a few steps into the alley way before pausing and leaning up against the wall.

_'Why am I such a horrible friend? Hikari has been there for me from the start, he's saved me countless times, more so from myself than anything else. All I ever do is get in his way, cause him more trouble than he needs.'_

Akuma slid down the wall and found himself sitting in the same exact spot that Hikari had been when he found him that night, the only time that Akuma had really been able to help him.

_It had been raining that day, hard and relentlessly. But for whatever reason, the seven-year-old boy was drawn out and into the town, as if led by an invisible string. Akuma simply wondered around the village glancing here and there, as if searching for something. But for what he had no idea._

_As he passed by an alleyway he spotted a splash of color that didn't quite match the gray walls. His gaze was quickly drawn to it and he stopped in his tracks upon seeing what it was. Sitting there with his back against the wall in a fetal position was his one and only friend, Hikari._

_Akuma quietly walked over to the nine-year-old boy and stood beside him. Hikari was so deep within his own world that he had no idea that the other was even there at all. The younger boy could clearly hear the slightly muffled crying. Unsure of what to, Akuma sat down quietly next to the distraught boy._

_They sat like that for a long time without speaking a word, the only sound was Hikari's light crying. Eventually it died down into sniffling. Finally, Akuma chose to speak up. _

_"Hikari?" The older boy finally picked up his head and turned his sad blue eyes to look at the other. There were a few more moments of silence before Hikari shifted his position a bit so that his shoulder was touching Akuma's. With that simple touch he seemed to relax some, but remained silent._

_"Why are you crying?" Akuma finally asked his friend._

_Hikari lowered his gaze, his eyes shifted from sad blue to melancholic yellow. _**_"Mom doesn't want me around..."_**

_Akuma couldn't help but blink at this and ask "Why?"_

_Kurai just shook his head slightly, he was on the brink of tears once again. _**_"I don't know... I don't know... She kept yelling at me to get out ... She kept calling me a monster..."_**

_"But you're not a monster." Came the simple response._

_**"I know... I don't know..."**__ Kurai seemed at a loss for words. _**_"We... I don't know what to do..."_**

_"What about Hikari? He usually comes up with good ideas." Hikari was usually the one who came up with ways to get them out of trouble. He was smart, even if he didn't act like it at times._

_**"He won't talk... Hasn't talked... It's been a while since the last time he did..." **__Kurai rested his chin on his folded arms. _**_"I don't know what to do... We don't have anywhere to go..."_**

_They both descended into silence, Kurai was gazing at the wall across from them with a blank expression, and Akuma was watching him. Finally, the redhead picked himself up and moved in front of his friends. Kurai lifted his head slightly to look up at him, eyes fading to blue. _

_"Come with me." Akuma said simply while holding out a hand to him. Hikari simply stared for a moment before taking the offered hand. Akuma pulled him to his feet and let him out of the alley._

_Soon enough, they arrived at a somewhat fancy house. It was bigger than an average house, but not quite the size of a mansion. Instead of going to the front door, Akuma led the other boy around to a side door. Finally they stepped out the cold harsh rain and into a bright warm kitchen. Nearby someone was humming a beautiful tune, but that stopped the moment they heard the door shut._

_Rukia paused her cleaning to glance over at the two._

_"Oh! Why hello there!" She said with a warm motherly smile when her gaze fell upon the red haired boy. She turned her gaze to the slightly taller boy whose head was down at the moment. She looked back to Akuma and asked. "Is this a friend of yours?" The younger boy just gave a slight nod in response. Rukia returned her gaze to the second child._

_"And what's your name?" She questioned but he remained silent._

_"His name is Hikari." Akuma answered for his friend._

_"I see, that's a very nice name. Would you like something to eat?" At those words Hikari picked up his head slightly and gave a small nod. Upon seeing his dirty, tear stained face Rukia couldn't help but blink slightly. She finally took a moment to look him over, it wasn't just his face that was dirty. His clothes too wear tattered and dirty, she almost got the impression that he'd been living on the street for a number of days. "Why don't you both go and have a sit at the table while I make you something to eat."_

_Akuma nodded at this and once again grabbed Hikari's hand and pulled him over to the table. Meanwhile, Rukia quietly observed the black and purple haired boy as she made them some sandwiches. Soon enough she was setting the plates down in front of both of them as well as glasses of water to wash it down with. She sat across them and watched quietly as they ate. After a bit of silence Akuma spoke up. "Mom, can Hikari stay?"_

_"He can't stay too long, I'm sure his mother will be worried about him." She was about to say more but a sudden bang quickly drew her eyes to Akuma's friend._

_He was standing now; the sound had been caused by him slapping his hand on the table._

**_"Worried? Not worried... Never again worried..."_**_ There was something about that voice that was a bit unnerving to her, but she couldn't place her finger on it. Maybe it was what he said, either way she had to find out why he said it._

_"What do you mean not worried?" She questioned carefully, not wanting to upset him more._

_The boy's head was still down and he shook slightly as he spoke his next words. _**_"She doesn't want me... Never wanted me... She loved him... But she hates me... But you can't have one without the other... Can't have light without dark..." _**_The way he spoke, eerily reminded her of the cryptic talk of a certain inner hollow that belongs to a certain orange haired Shinigami. Not to mention that she thought she heard a slight echo in his voice._

_She chose her next words carefully. "Why would she hate you?"_

_**"Why?"**__ The boy shook even more. _**_"Don't know why... Didn't do anything... But still she hates... What does mom hate me?" _**_He choked slightly as he spoke those words. _**_"I didn't do anything wrong... I'm not a bad boy..."_**_ The distraught child lifted his hand to cover his face as tears started to tumble down his cheeks once again. __"I**'m …not a… bad boy..."**__ He managed to choke out between the sobs._

_Despite the suspicions she had, she couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor boy. She tried to think of something to say to ease his mind, but another took action before her. Akuma picked himself up from his chair then proceeded to pull the other into a hug._

_"Its okay, Kurai. You're not a bad boy. She just doesn't know you like me and Hikari do." The boy seemed to calm down a little bit at these words._

_Rukia couldn't help but notice that Akuma had just referred to the boy as Kurai after moments ago introducing him as Hikari. Not to mention, the way he talked about Hikari as if this boy and that one were two separate people. But her train of thought came to a crashing halt as a familiar voice came into range._

_"Dammit Shiro! Enough with the coffee! You're not getting any!" Just as these words were spoken the owner of the voice stepped into the room and paused at the scene before him. _

_"Ah... Heh... Sorry..." Ichigo said while rubbing the back of his head._

_Upon hearing the voice both boys' heads had snapped up and turned towards the doorway. Being used to Ichigo's outbursts, Rukia never took her gaze off the boy and for a brief moment she thought she saw yellow eyes. But now what she saw were slightly startled blue eyes._

_Hikari finally pulled away from Akuma's grip and walked over to stand before the man. Ichigo couldn't help but look down at the boy with a slightly confused expression. Hikari just stared up at him quietly; finally Ichigo crouched down slightly to be at eye level with the boy._

_"Hey there." He said while putting on his friendliest smile. "What's your name?"_

_He remained silent, staring straight into Ichigo's eyes. And it was clear that the silence was starting to unnerve him a bit. His smile faded into a frown as he tilted his head to the side as if listen to something. Without Ichigo's knowledge, his brown eyes slowly started to fade to yellow._

_But Hikari saw it clear as day and recognition flashed across his eyes. "You're like me..." He said in a low voice._

_"What?" Despite the soft tone, Ichigo was still close enough to hear his words._

_"You're like me." He spoke louder, this time and even Rukia could hear his words. Husband and wife exchanged glances before looking back to the boy._

_A slight smile crossed his face as golden yellow overtook brilliant blue. And Ichigo couldn't help but be startled at the next words that came from the boy's mouth. __"**There's another you in there than the you that's here."**_

_Ichigo could find no words to say that, but another did. A slightly creepy smile started to spread across his face as his eyes fully faded to yellow and black ink began to invade the white._

_**"Heh! The kid's sharp 'Boss'!"**__ The words came out of the mouth of the orange haired man, but it wasn't his voice. _

_**"And from the looks of it, the little hollow has most of the control. It's only a matter of time before the little guy takes full control."**__ He tilted his head to the side with an amused look and went to say more, but the boy's voice stopped him._

_**"Why would I want to do that?"**__ The boy questioned the older inner hollow._

_**"What?"**__ Shirosaki was taken off guard by the question at first._**_ "Why wouldn't ya? Then ya could have that body all ta yerself and ya wouldn't have ta be contained anymore."_**

_**"But I'm not, me and Hikari share everything equally."**__ The young hollow explained._

_**"Come again?"**__ It was a concept that Shirosaki was having a bit of a hard time grasping. __**"Why would ya wanna share? This Hikari is obviously a weaklin' since ya have been able ta maintain control for so long! So why not just devour him and take full control!"**_

_Rukia couldn't be silent anymore as she picked herself up and yelled. "Darn it Shiro! Stop putting ideas into the boy's head!"_

_But almost at the same time Kurai yelled back with. _**_"Hikari is not a weakling! And I would never EVER do that to him! He's my friend! My brother! He's my light! And I'm his dark! And that's the way it's going to stay!" _**_Everyone was stunned into silence at these words. It was clearly obvious that this young Visored had a different sort of relationship with his inner hollow. But Kurai wasn't done speaking just yet. _**_"Stupid old man!"_**

_An angry expression crossed Shiro's face. _**_"Why ya little brat!"_**_ He snapped while grabbing ahold of one of Kurai's arms with a tight grip._

_**"Ow! Let go! You're hurting me!"**__ The little hollow cried out, attempting to pull away._

_"Dammit Ichigo! Get your hollow under control you idiot!" Rukia yelled at her husband while she moved to help the small boy. But she never got the opportunity to._

_**"I said let go!" **__Kurai yelled once again while swinging his small fist with all his might. The moment the fist made contact with the older man's face there was a brilliant flash of red._

_Shocked and stunned by the sudden attack, Shiro let go of the young hollow as he stumbled back and fell onto his ass. As he sat there blinking in surprise, the black receded and the yellow faded to brown. Finally Ichigo raised a hand to his face where the attack connected. "That kid just Bala punched me in the face!"_

_"You deserved it for not getting Shiro under control sooner!" Rukia said from where she stood next to Kurai, it's where she had stopped when he had knocked the older inner hollow back. Ignoring Ichigo's complaints, she crouched down slightly and turned the young boy towards her as she proceeded to inspect his arm for any damage. Kurai couldn't help but blink up at her motherly like affection. After a moment or two she let out a slight relieved sigh. "It's a little red, but it won't bruise."_

_**"Why..."**__ Her caring gaze met his confused one. _**_"Why do you care?"_**

_"Because," Kurai turned his head to look at the orange haired man as he began to speak. "We understand what you're going through." Ichigo picked himself up into a kneeling position before the small possessed boy. He placed a gentle hand upon Kurai's head, the young hollow couldn't help but tense a bit at the touch. "Do you have a name?" He asked in a gentle voice and the boy couldn't help but relax a bit._

_He gave a small nod while saying. _**_"Uh huh, Hikari gave me one a LONG time ago."_**

_"You don't say?" Ichigo said with a friendly smile. "Hikari is your other half I take it?" The hollow boy gave another small nod. "So what's your name?"_

_**"It's Kurai."**_

_Ichigo couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Hikari and Kurai... Light and dark?"_

_**"Uh huh! Hikari is my light and I'm his dark! We're two halves of the same whole!"**__ Kurai said with a big smile on his face. This little hollow was obviously no threat to anyone._

_Even though Rukia hated the thought of upsetting the poor boy anymore, she had to be sure about something. "What exactly happened between you and your mother?"_

_The smile on Kurai's face died quickly upon hearing those words. _**_"Mom... Mom kicked us out..." _**_He dropped his head slightly, his gaze on the floor. _**_"She found out about me... She didn't want us... Didn't want me around..."_**

_Rukia and Ichigo exchanged a silent glance as they both came to the same decision. But before either of them spoke, the boy was talking again. "You're like us." He said as he lifted his gaze look at Ichigo with his sad blue eyes. "You must know... You have to know what it's like... To be different..." It was obvious that this was Hikari speaking and neither of them needed to look into his eyes to see that. "Can..." He looked like he was afraid to speak. "Can we stay here?"_

_Ichigo smiled warmly at the young boy as he spoke. "Of course you can stay here, both of you." Hikari couldn't help but blink at this, his eyes change from blue to yellow for a brief moment. Then a small smile crossed his face, and Ichigo returned it while ruffling up his hair little._

_Rukia to couldn't help but smile then she looked over to Akuma who had been watching everything in silence. _

_"Akuma, why don't you show Hikari and Kurai to the bathroom so they can wash up. And while they wash up, we'll see if we can't find them some clothes."_

_Akuma gave a small nod while coming over to take hold of Hikari's hand once again. He led the older boy out of the room quietly, once they were down the hall a ways Hikari spoke up. "Thank you Akuma."_

Those last words echoed in Akuma's head as he came back to reality. It had happened so long ago, but he could still remember it clearly.

"Hikari, you've trusted me with your secrets, I wish I could do the same…" He trailed off as he stood up and headed home.

xxXxx

Shirashi stared down at the silk white ribbon that was tied around her wrist. She smiled softly at the simple silk cloth. "Katsuya…" she murmured the name without even realizing it. A tear welled up at the corner of her eye and left a trail down her cheek.

_A seven year old Shirashi walked through the town of Karakura, in her arms were two bags of groceries. Her father had sent (more like ordered) her out to get everything. She had gotten everything on the list and the correct amount of yen to pay with since her father had been sure that was all they would need. She rolled her eyes. "This is all for him…" She muttered bitterly. She didn't even like what was in the bags and yet she knew she'd be the one cooking it. It wasn't fair but whoever said life was fair? She had a sinking suspicion that she wouldn't get any for dinner tonight; just like the last two nights she had gone to sleep hungry. She knew she wouldn't get any food not unless her father was taking his medicine which she doubted. The voices would convince him otherwise._

_A cry made her stop in her tracks. She looked around the near deserted street corner and found what she was looking for. A group of four boys, one of them was holding a white ribbon away from a small girl's outstretched fingers as she jumped in a pitiful attempt to get the ribbon back. She watched for a moment longer taking in the features of the little girl who was a year younger than her. The girl had blond hair and large doe-like purple eyes and pale skin. The boys had black hair in various styles, hazel eyes and tanned skin. The boys were obviously related to each other and now that she looked at them. She realized that she knew them, those were the very same boys that had picked on her until she broken one of the boy's nose for calling her psycho._

_She found it impossible to walk away, this person needed her help and she was going to help her. She set the bags of groceries down and walked over. She stopped just outside of their makeshift circle, crossing her arms over her chest before she gave them all the meanest death glare she could. "What do you idiots think you're doing?" She demanded loudly._

_Her exclamation had the desired effect, the boys(and the girl) all turned toward her. The boy she was standing behind jumped at her voice and whirled around only to scream like a girl when she grabbed the collar of his shirt and dragged toward her. "Taiyou." She practically purred the boy's name. "What do you think you're doing?" She asked._

_"N-none of your business, you witch!" The boy, Taiyou exclaimed in timid anger._

_"Let him go, Shirashi!" Another boy who was eight ordered her._

_Her eyes narrowed at the order. "No. I don't think I will." She said offhandedly like she was commenting on the weather. "Come and make me, if you think you can, Torao."_

_"Let him go, Akatsuki!" Another boy, Takeshi demanded, worried for his twin._

_Shirashi looked over at the younger twin's demand and raised an eyebrow at him before raising her fist prepared to punch Taiyou who screamed in fear._

_"Tatsu! Takeshi! We'll do __**that**__." Torao ordered his twin and younger brother respectively as he dropped the ribbon and ran at Shirashi with a fist pulled back to punch her._

_Shirashi ignored them for a moment, watching as the little girl quickly snatched up her ribbon. Shirashi shoved Taiyou away from her and right into Torao's fist. A fountain of blood flowed from his broken nose._

_"You worthless wretch you broke his nose!" Torao snarled in response._

_"No. You're the one who punched him in the face, not me!" She snapped back a retort just before a fist made contact with her lip, splitting her lip as she stumbled back from the blow. Blood dribbled down from her split lip to chin. She retaliated with a kick to stomach to Tatsu who had gone to punch her again. She threw another punch this time at Takeshi who lunged at her. She missed and he tackled her to the ground sending her flat on her back. "Get off of me!" She snarled at him, struggling under his weight as he pinned her down easily._

_Tatsu looked down at her while she struggled to get out of the pin that Takeshi had her in. "What should we do with her, Nii-san?" Tatsu asked. Her eyes widened as Torao looked at her with a feral grin. "Beat her up." Those three words sealed her fate. Takeshi quickly got off of her and he and Tatsu grabbed her arms and dragged her to her feet. Torao glared at her. "Akatsuki… You're gonna pay for breaking my brother's nose! And you really shouldn't have interrupted us." He hissed._

_Shirashi spat on the ground and glared at him, her hair falling into her face. "I never… broke your brother's nose. You did!" She snarled back. She glanced over at the girl who was now clutching the ribbon in her hand, her purple eyes wide with fear and something else, determination. Shirashi couldn't look anymore because a fist slammed into her stomach with enough force to make her cough up saliva. Her arms were released and dropped to her knees, her arms encircling her stomach. "D-damn… you…" she gasped out._

_Torao lifted his foot and was going to kick the downed girl but the six year old they had been picking on earlier, suddenly ran forward and rammed her shoulder into the older boy's side. Sending Torao to the ground in a heap of limbs. The girl glared down at the boy, her purple eyes blazing as if they were encased in an unseen fire._

_Torao growled as he picked himself up from the ground, Takeshi, Tatsu and Taiyou regrouped around their older brother. The eight year old glared at the girls. "This isn't over!" He vowed as he and his brothers ran off._

_The girl blew a raspberry at the retreating boy's back before she turned to Shirashi and offered her hand to the older girl in order to help her to her feet._

_Shirashi took the offered hand and allowed the girl to pull her to her feet. "Thanks." She said with a slight smile which looked more like a grimace._

_The girl shook her head, causing her blond hair to go flying. "Nope. I'm the one who should be thanking you." The girl said with a grin. "I'm Katsuya by the way. What's your name?" the girl known as Katsuya asked._

_"Well… you're welcome, Katsuya." Shirashi said. "I'm Shirashi. It's nice to meet you." She added._

_Katsuya smiled back. "Why'd you come help someone you don't even know?" Katsuya asked curiously, watching as Shirashi started to leave and she followed her, tying her blond hair up into a ponytail with the ribbon._

_Shirashi shrugged at the question, she didn't have an answer for why she did it. She just did. Ignoring the pain in her already bruising face she picked up one of the bags of groceries and was going to pick up the other when Katsuya beat her to it and picked up the bag before she could. "What are you doing?" She asked the year younger girl._

_"Helping. It's the least I can do; after all you did save me, Shirashi." Katsuya responded with a smile._

_"Do as you wish." Shirashi muttered as she started the trek back to her house with Katsuya keeping pace with her._

_"Hey Shirashi…" Katsuya asked a bit shyly._

_"What?"_

_"A-are… we friends now?"_

_"Well… I guess so." Shirashi responded with a small smile in her friend's direction, who returned the smile with a wide grin of her own, before the younger girl suddenly stopped, set the her grocery bag down while she took the bag Shirashi was carrying away from her and set it on the ground by the other bag. Shirashi blinked in confusion and opened her mouth to ask what she was doing when the younger girl cut her off by suddenly leaped at her knocking them both to the ground with a thud. "Lets be friends forever!" Katsuya squealed happily._

_Shirashi blinked again in confusion before a smile formed on her lips as she absentmindedly ran her fingers through the younger girl's hair. She wasn't sure why she did it, she just did. "Yeah..."_

Shirashi stared down the ribbon with a strained smile. "Friends forever, huh?" she muttered to herself. She then shook her head focusing once again on the present. Shirashi reached out to open the door to the workshop, but paused the moment her hand touched another's. She turned her head to look; Shirashi's gaze met a familiar pair of slightly surprised deep ocean blue eyes.

They both stood like that for a few seconds until finally Hikari pulled back. "Sor... Sorry!" He apologized quickly while he tried in vain to brush the hair out his face. There was a slight touch of nervousness in his voice. Hikari gestured to the door with a hesitant smile on his face. "Ladies first."

Before she even had a chance to respond the door to the shop abruptly opened.

"Welcome back Shirashi! How did the meeting go?" Kisuke said with a smile, he noticed Hikari at that moment.

"Why hello Hikari, Kurai! Have you both come for your regular check up before your next mission?" He asked with his usual knowing smile.

An ever so slight twitch crossed Shirashi's face. "Fine." She said simply as she moved to head inside. Just as Shirashi was about to pass Kisuke she abruptly punched him in the side hard.

"That's for not just coming out and telling me." Was the only explanation she gave before continuing on her way.

Kisuke leaned against the doorway while gripping his side in pain. "That's my Shi-chan... "He managed to give Hikari a weak smile.

"Why don't you come inside and we'll get you all checked out."

**"Heh! She got you good! Don't know what you did, but that was worth seeing..."** Kurai couldn't help snickering at the shop keeper's misfortune as he moved past the man.

"Your concern is overwhelming as usual Kurai..." Kisuke replied with a sigh and once again Kurai just snickered at him.

"Come now, you know the routine." He said as he shut the front door and headed to one of the back rooms.

A sigh escaped the young Visored's lips as his eyes faded to blue.

"We know... We know... It's the same thing every time we come here..." Came Hikari's reply in a very bored like manner as he followed after the man. From a side room Shirashi observed the pair as they went deeper into the shop.

"Something on your mind Shira-chan?" asked a sudden voice from right behind her, which caused her to jump slightly. Turning around quickly, Shirashi found herself face-to-face with Yoruichi, She relaxed once she realized who it was.

"Not really." Came the reply, but Yoruichi saw Shirashi glance over her shoulder ever so slightly and towards the back of the shop.

Smirking slightly Yoruichi placed her hands on her hips while following the young Shinigami's gaze.

"He's been coming here for about eight years now." Shirashi couldn't help but blink slightly looking at the older woman.

"In fact, you might have seen him around from time to time. He's been coming here ever since they discovered he had an inner hollow." The teenager raised an eyebrow but continued to listen in silence.

"They think Kurai, his inner hollow, is dangerous. But anyone who spends enough time around him quickly learns he's not a normal hollow. And his relationship with Hikari is completely different from Visoreds of the past." She set her gaze upon Shirashi once again and she couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. "They're quite the interesting pair really. And I think you'll find that despite how they act, they will always have your back."

Shirashi turns her gaze away from the goddess of flash. "I never said I was curious about him, you know..." Yoruichi just chuckled in response to her words.

But no more could be said between the two because a frustrated yell made everything within the workshop go quiet, at least for a moment. **"Dammit! You perverted madman! Go to hell!"** Which was quickly followed by the sound of a door slamming shut and heavy footsteps.

Shirashi couldn't help but glance back into the hallway. Kurai was storming towards the front door cursing and swearing all the while. From a branching hallway further back within the building a redheaded boy stepped into view. "Hey Two Face!"

Instantly Kurai whipped around to yell at the kid. **"Screw you ru..."** He was cut off when a bag hit him squarely in the face, which caused him to stumble back a step or two before finally falling to the ground.

"Bull's-eye!" The boy cried with a triumphant grin.

Kisuke had poked his head out of the room he was in to observe the two. "Oh my, that wasn't very nice Jinta..."

"What? I was just giving him his and Akuma's clothes for their mission." Jinta said with a big smirk on his face. "Knowing that idiot he most likely would have forgotten."

Kurai twitched greatly in agitation while glaring daggers at the boy. When he spoke there was a bit of a growl to his voice that made the echo more prominent. **"I swear if you keep badmouthing me like that, I'm going to kick your puny little ass!"**

But Jinta just laughed at him while crossing his arms. "HA! You say the same thing every time! You're never going to follow through! You're nothing but a big pussy!"

**"Why you little..."** For a moment, it appeared that he might charge at the boy. But his expression changed just as abruptly as his eye color did.

Hikari reached a hand up to rub at his head slightly with a sigh. "I have a headache... Great going Kurai..." The last part was muttered rather than said out, but Shirashi was close enough to over hear. Letting out another sigh Hikari bent down and retrieved the bag of clothes.

"I'm off." He stated simply, after straightening up and throwing the bag over his shoulder.

"See ya Two Face!" Jinta called out after the young Visored and in response Hikari lifted a hand in a farewell gesture.

Once he was gone, Shirashi finally went to begin her preparations for the journey. But that little exchange proved one thing, Hikari and Kurai were quite an interesting pair indeed. And she couldn't help but get the feeling that this was going to be one strange trip...

* * *

**NOTE: **Due to complications Bittersweet Sanity will be posted in my account for now on. The story will still be co-written by myself and xBlue-Rosex.


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